About the article last Sunday about the richest members of Congress, how can leftwing liberal Democrats in the Congress be rich and wealthy despite being anti-business and anti-capitalism? Yet they claimed they have the righteous thing to do that....

A: Amy Argetsinger

Hey, if you can afford to be anti-business, why not?

Very deeply reported story on A1 the other day about congressional wealth and how our elected reps have mostly done okay during the recession. Of course, I was most intrigued by the fact that Mary Bono Mack's assets have dipped, apparently because they're not playing "I Got You Babe" as much as they used to.

There are more friends with benefits here. Is morals evaporating here in DC?

A: Amy Argetsinger

Does the decline in jobs with benefits correlate to the rise in friends with benefits? I can't speak to the latter (who has time for friends?), but it sounds like you've done some research on the topic and maybe should share your personal experiences with us.

Oh, heck -- we should have included them in our survey of who's still married in Hollywood. (Warning: Photo gallery!) . . . Hank Stuever pointed out that we also forgot Belinda Carlisle and Morgan Mason who, while not exactly Hollywood A-list, are also a showbiz couple you wouldn't have expected to make it this long.

I attended the recent Hollywood Show where celebrities meet fans and I may make the following observations.
Jonathan Winters does not look well. He was confined to a wheelchair but more important he was not his usual chipper self as he has been in many past shows I do not know what is going on with him but I hope he feels better soon and is back to his old self
Andy Dick was great. While there have been celebrities who have exhibited strange behavior at past shows, Andy Dick was properly amusing joking with fans appropriately, and was overall terrific, from what I saw. I do not know all the past problems he has faced, but based on his limited exposure at this Show, he seemed to be doing fine.
Beth Broderick made their first appearance at the Show. She stated she has never done something like this before. I do not know what she expected nor what she thought, but I found her charming and gracious to us fans. She spoke with us at length and was very nice.
John Amos was fantastic. He spoke with fans after the Show and was very nice. Cathy St George joked around with us fans and gave me one of those :"that's what she said" moments when I inadvertently stated a double entendre. I complimented the Landers Sisters but insulted the daughter when I asked the daughter if she was one of the sisters. Seriously, she looked very mature, and the Landers sister look great.
While the Hollywood Show has had it moments in the past, as when Robert Blake had a meltdown there which made the evening news, this past show lacked too much news Which I think is good It is great to see about 70 celebrities meeting with fans with no great scandal or moments to report,. It was great meeting people like Robert Picardo, the Unknown Comic, a spry 90 year old June Foray, Sam Trammell, Lou Gossett Jr., Mariiel Hemingway, etc. and have a great time with no misadventures to report. I do note Mariel Hemingway was scheduled to appear with her husband and I did not see him there so run with that as much as anyone wants Any misstatements made at the Show were mine, not theirs. In sum, no scandal news is good news.
I do hear that there is a Rock and Roll Celebrity Show being started next year, I will report back if I make that. I did report on a funny moment when a rocker stated something to a fan at the last Hollywood Show, and since you did not print it I will not repeat it here in case it is not appropriate, Yet, if you want sandal or outrageous behavior, then I will file a report from the Rock and Roll Show, as I suspect rockers are more apt to do outrageous things

A: Amy Argetsinger

Hey, that's a lot of reporting. You trying to show us up or something?

Seems like a waste of salt, but if he doesn't have high blood pressure more power to him. Do you two have any weird food habits that you would care to share with us?

A: Amy Argetsinger

I'm pretty sure that salty Cokes are going to be my new thing, soon as I get around to trying it (hopefully today) -- but I suspect that's about to go mainstream in a big way. Hmm, let me think. . . As a kid I really liked bologna sandwiches with ketchup, and I recall that even my peers at the time found that despicable. But I grew out of that . . . I drink huge quantities of hot water, plain -- you know, tea without the tea -- and some people find that alarming. How about you?

(Rox does not have any weird food habits. "Does mustard on beef count?" she asked. "No," I said.)

I know this isn't the wedding chat, but I need to air my recently-acquired views and as a longtime RS chatter, thought this might be the place.
I went to my first Momzilla wedding this weekend. Unfortunately, a family member married a wealthy young New York woman in a storybook venue, complete with many bridesmaids in jeweltoned dresses. The engagement was loooong, due to someone's insistence on that venue, but they were stuck with a 10 AM start (who does that?) Do you know how silly people look in formal wear at 10 AM? And I almost felt sorry for the bridal party having to get up at 5:30 to do hair and makeup. Whatever. Here are my observations:
1. No one except a model looks good in strapless. Most women slouch once they realize that they are supposed to push their chests out in strapless clothing. Ladies - if you're thinking strapless for the bridesmaids, think again. Also, if any of your bridesmaids has a large tattoo on her shoulderblade, reconsider the strapless dresses.
2. If the dress code for the rehearsal dinner says "casual" on the invitation,the hosts should dress that way themselves, and should discourage their guests from wearing cocktail dresses and suits. That makes those who show up in khakis and polo shirts (and the female equivalent) feel uncomfortable and dissed. Like they have throughout the 26-month engagement.
3. The rehearsal dinner (which was actually a cocktail party-like event at the bride's parents's apartment, full of baby boomer friends and relatives of the 20-something couple's parents) is not the time for one of the bridesmaids to refer to the bride's beautiful "bazongas", "fun bags" and "bazooms", among others.
4. The rehearsal dinner toasts should not be repetitive, boring or go on for 45 minutes, until one of the elderly relatives with a heart condition faints because of the warm room due to overcrowding.
5. Only the bride should have a train on her dress. This is not the time for the bride's mother to have one on hers.
6. If you're going to have a dance party at a club in the evening after your midday wedding, there is no reason to have a really loud 15-piece band playing dance tunes incessantly during the meal. It's kind of hard on the elderly and baby boomer guests.
I won't even talk about the bride's mother's toast. Long, not funny and me me me.

A: Amy Argetsinger

I was a little nervous about posting this. Are you 100 percent the bride and groom in question don't read the Reliable Source web chat -- I'm worried they're going to recognize themselves here. (Or were there a million weddings exactly like this this past weekend? Shudder.)

RE: #1 Yeah, strapless is about to be so over.

RE: #3 hahahah -- "fun bags," really? Really?

RE: #4 I thought this was a standard part of the American wedding ritual, no?

RE: #5 How about we all decide to wear trains -- even the men -- at the next wedding we have to go to?

Why do people continue saying this. Take, for example, Nancy Pelosi. Even though her dad was mayor of Baltimore, she had a modest upbringing in the city's Little Italy, where she was doing constituent service for her father at a very young age. She did, however, marry a successful investment banker so she's extremely well-to-do, but she's held on to the ideals she learned as a kid from her father, who was a proud FDR Democrat.

A: Amy Argetsinger

All true. We're all familiar with the phrase "limousine liberal," no? Time to stop being surprised by the wealth (and wealthy supporters) on both sides of the aisle.

Wonder if Robin Williams was invited to their wedding. 25 years ago would have been during his coke fiend days, so he would have been great at the reception. Or terrible, depending on your perspective.

I saw the dress she wore at the State Department and wonder why she always has to flaunt her chest. I am a woman with big boobs and I know when it is a good time to keep them covered.

A: Amy Argetsinger

Oh, you know, I think she was just keepin' it real. The celebrities who come to D.C. and try to dress all D.C.-like -- it never really works, does it? Plus, what would we be talking about? For what it's worth, our colleague Megan Buerger who saw her in the flesh says that Xtina's dress wasn't quite as alarming in person -- the camera just got a heck of an angle.

It would humanize Judi Dench's character. I wouldn't want her to be in love with present-day James Bond, but when she first started at MI6, she was lovesick secretary in the early 1960's who became the totally competent head of the organization would be kind of neat.

A: Roxanne Roberts

The timing part is weird, though -- if she was in love with Bond back in the day, she couldn't be his boss now because the character stays the same age.

I was a counselor on a teen tour many years ago and when in LA we 'met' rhea and danny (I have a picture!) - and they were really really nice. She was most definitely okay with us bothering them and annoying them, she had fun with it.
They did seem like the ultimate couple and they have a bunch of kids, right?

After many years of not thinking about him, I had a long thought about Alex Karras on Monday afternoon. There was an article about the original sports bar, which was in Detroit, and was torn down to make way for the new stadium there a few years ago. Alex Karras hung out at that bar when he played for the Lions. How sad - his widow is saying that his decline was hastened by playing football.

A: Amy Argetsinger

Yep, it's all sad. It's good people are finally talking about concussions, though.

Remember a dumb movie with Reese Witherspoon & Owen Wilson called How Do You Know? He was supposed to be a Nationals pitcher, but they didn't use real Nats as the team! I was SO mad. And isn't Tyler Moore adorable?

Apparently one of the major reason for strapless wedding dress is that they are cheaper to make and design. Also there are easiler to find people who will fit into them since two people different can fit into the same dress, but then they shoulders might be different. There was a lot write-up of it in Slate.com was kind of interesting.

I've never been to their store or eaten one of their cupcakes but I have to say that their reality show is possibly the absolute worst one I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot of bad ones). I saw a couple of the first episodes and I was sure it would be cancelled before the end of the season. Have they gotten better writers and some hardcore acting lessons or are people just that desperate to stare at cupcakes?

A: Amy Argetsinger

Lovely people, genuinely good cupcakes -- but yes, I found that show insanely boring. Every episode (of the two or three I consumed) had the same story arc: "We just got this big order -- and I don't think we can get this done!" (Spoiler: They always do). However, I'm told that the repetition is lulling and mesmerizing for other viewers, i.e., small children and Olympic-caliber bakers. . . Hey, Roxanne, this is where you weigh in.

I'm met and like both Sophie and Katherine and, of course, I watched last night. It pains me to agree about the show for this reason: It makes them look dumb and it could be so much better. These two sisters dove into a really competitive business -- one that people think is easy but find is really difficult -- and have LINES OUT THE DOOR years later. Amazing. How they pulled that off --marketing, smarts, hard work, innovation -- is much more interesting than the ginned up "big project" dramas created by producers, which they NEVER fail. Katherine told me they get letters all the time from girls and women who see them as role models, so I wish the show better reflected what it takes to accomplish what they have.

John Tesh has been with Connie Selleca for ages. Okay, they aren't really A-list anymore, but they were. And Kevin Klein and Phoebe Cates are still together, aren't they?

A: Amy Argetsinger

Dang, even more than we realized. Maybe there's hope for love after all. . . . I stumbled across John Tesh's radio show while driving through the Pennsylvania night a couple weeks ago. He was ranting about corporate fast-food chains or something, but in a very mellifluous and soothing way.

I know for a fact that they don't read this chat. I can't vouch for any of the other 200 guests.
Re "fun bags", etc. This was part of the bridemaid's toast. It included several other slang vulgarisms (and the bride is tall, slender and maybe an A cup) and was delivered to the entire elderly/baby boomer crowd. We were dumbstruck.

A: Amy Argetsinger

(I'd love to know how you know that for a fact. Chatters, does this come up much in your conversations with friends? Is there some kind of secret handshake to indicate that you do or do not read this chat?)

I thought she took displayed a rather maternal attitude toward Bond in Quantum of Solace ( he was something of a mess after Vesper's death). Supposedly her portrayal is based on Stella Rimington, the real life head of MI5, in the 1990s.

I do this too. I love it! My favorite is when I was out to breakfast somewhere and ordered it -- after a race, I think, as I get cold after running -- and so flummoxed the waitstaff that they brought it to me in a pint glass! I am also amused by how disgusting so many people find this. It's just hot water.

Weren't the late Alex Karras and his second wife, Canadian actress Susan Clark, married for 35-40 years? They met when filming her bio-pic of legendary athlete Babe Didriksen, in which Karras played Babe's future husband George Zaharias, then later co-starred on TV's "Webster."

A: Amy Argetsinger

Yes, indeed -- I was interested to see in his obituary that they were still together.

Good grief, did you SEE the Little Black Dress Sarah Palin wore to "Dancing with the Stars" on Monday night? (Actually, it was so microscopic you might have had a hard time seeing it). Bare cutaway shoulder, skirt hiked halfway up to "there." I realize she's promoting a fitness book, but sheesh! Four years ago she was running for the office that's just a heartbeat away from leader of the Free World. How about a little dignity, Sarah? For our nation's sake, and for your family's sake, if not your own?

Recent local wedding (afternoon in an arboretum) in flyover country--MOB wore a tight black strapless gown with a train that would have suited X-Tina on a fanciful day. Bride was mortified. MOB unmoved by entreaties to choose something less over-the-top. Do people take leave of their senses when they hear Lohengrin in the distance?

That's funny for you to say, Roxanne, since the media is more guilty than anyone about this. Was that a Freudian Slip on your part, or just some stunning self-awareness?

A: Roxanne Roberts

No slip or self-awareness: The best reporters honestly try to find the facts of any situation and build a story based on that information. Plenty of other people selectively pick and choose data to create a narrative that is usually much more dramatic than all the facts would allow. I'd argue that the political world is more guilty of that than the media -- but also that our definition of media has widened so much that it is barely recognizable. (Who's a journalist? What standards who they use? Who can you trust?) It's almost impossible to know who's telling the truth anymore.

I know you weren't trying to be disrespectful, but it came off as a little glib. Alex Karras was a canny businessman who realized that he could make more money as a pro wrassler than in the NFL at the time, and did that in the off-season (and when he was negotiating his contracts, always used his second career as leverage).

A: Amy Argetsinger

No, of course, did not mean disrespect. That was more a reference to how these chats have developed a somewhat morbid thread of "so, who died this week?" Not that I'm complaining. Because it's also an opportunity to discuss so many interesting lives.

No Palin fan, but she is famous for being the running mate of losing ticket in 2008. Not that folks like Congressman George Miller or Senator Lloyd Bentsen turned that into being a household name or anything, but it isn't "nothing."
Plus Sarah Palin isn't just a US Weekly covergirl. She still have major coin for conservative circuit speaking fees like a ton of out-of-office politicians, right?

A: Amy Argetsinger

No idea what her speaking-fee situation is these days. But once you start taking your former political capital into the fitness-book authorship business -- well, you're kind of crossing-over into the world of the famesque, not that there's anything wrong with that.

I totally went non strapless at my wedding. i can't believe this trend is still here. really...
and thank goodness the whole one shoulder thing seems to be starting to slow down. NO ONE looks good in that - even worse than strapless. SO hard to pull off - even those on the red carpet don't do it well.

I always make a huge point of mentioning it when you respond, wittily, to my comments. Like the John Tesh and Mongo comments from this chat, for instance. Sometimes, since I know they read the chat as well, I try and get them to guess which ones came from me. If you post the a-ha one I sent in, well, that's a dead giveaway.

the poster who mentioned that movie reminded me of something: yep, they didn't use real MLB players. But the extras playing the players were, by and large, members of various local wood-bat teams. Some played low-level pro ball, others played NCAA. All of them say it was a pretty cool experince.

A: Amy Argetsinger

I'm still so curious to see this movie, even though everyone warns that it's beyond dreadful.

I have to admit, in my late teens/early 20's I enjoyed wearing revealing, low-cut "skanky" clothes every now and then. Now, not so much. I am the same age as Xtina and I don't understand why she still wants to wear that crap. Still a 20 year old in her head?

A: Roxanne Roberts

Maybe. I don't know if guys have this issue, but I'll put on a dress or skirt --- something I've worn for years and thought looked pretty good -- and then one morning I look in the mirror and think, "Nope. Too young." And that's that -- I toss whatever in the giveaway pile.

I think the point is that most of them have gained wealth while in congress. seems like a problem no? at least appears not so great. (for both sides, honestly - but the liberals always talk about 'the poor' and 'distributing wealth' so one would only assume that they are giving it away, but it appears that they only want to give away someone else's money - and giving it away is something that didn't make it into the column in your paper that indicated that romney 'should have' more money than he does).

Think I know where the chatter got his/her idea about Miss. Moneypenny becoming M. in the 007 series.
Roger Moore said after Lois Maxwell's death (who played Miss. Moneypenny in all his films as well as Sean Connery's films) that she would have made a great M. if she had lived.
Oddly, Lois Maxwell wasn't even English. She was Canadian.

Not really stuck in my head yet, but I like that it has an old-school Shirley Bassey-ish sound. Though, dang, now that I've given you that "Goldfinger" clip, everything really pales in comparison to that, doesn't it.

That movie hurt me. It was actually a pretty mean-spirited rom-com when you get down to it; say what you will about Sandy Bullock, but her movies have a little bit of humanity in them; the Nats movie was decidedly lacking that (though didn't Wilson meet his main squeeze when he was here?).

A: Amy Argetsinger

My understanding was that they met in-flight . . . and I have no idea if they're still together.

Hmm, now I'm intrigued. A bit of mean-spiritedness sort of cuts the sweet of a rom-com, in a good way sometimes -- sort of like salt in Coke, no?

If Bristol Palin behaved toward Levi Johnston anything like the way she did toward poor Mark Ballas on "Dancing with the Stars," I can't say I entirely blame Levi for not wanting to marry such a drama queen (even if it'd been just for a few minutes in order to make their baby legitimate).

A: Amy Argetsinger

Oh, come on -- you know that's just a TV show, and it's all play-acting, right?

If the decoder ring has a secret compartment for emergency chocolate, it's real.

Chatters -- time to dive into the column. Try not to spend TOO much time sneaking peeks of the Nats game today -- I want you all to keep your jobs. Send you tips and sightings to reliablesource@washpost.com. Watch the debate tomorrow night and Tuesday: We'll talk about them next week.